1. Field of the Invention
In general this invention pertains to motor vehicles and aircraft. In particular, the invention relates to a flying vehicle with a power train configuration that attains the driving characteristics of a three-wheeled motorcycle and the flying attributes of a primary class airplane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The idea of a flying car has had great appeal ever since automobiles and airplanes became accepted means of transportation. The concept is attractive as an engineering challenge as well as the fulfillment of a quest for total freedom and independence. Several authors have commented on the concept of a flying car and described various attempts at producing a viable machine for personal use. See, for example, Chiles, J. R., "Flying Cars were a Dream that Never Got Off the Ground," Smithsonian, Vol. 19, No. 11, pp.144-162, February 1989; Stiles, P., Roadable Aircraft, from Wheels to Wings, Second Edition, Custom Creativity, Inc., Melbourne, Fla., August 1994: and Grossmann, John, "Auto Pilots," Air & Space, Vol. 10, No. 5, January 1996.
As reported in these articles, the prior art abounds with concepts for flying cars that look and feel like cars on the road and somehow become airplanes for the sky. The common solution is a modular approach to provide both automotive and aircraft performance. Referred to as "transformers," these vehicles incorporate alternative modules that permit the conversion of a roadable car into a flying craft. This adaptation typically requires the vehicle to pass through an elaborate transformation where a sky module is added for flight.
A common objection to this type of flying cars is that they are poor airplanes as well as poor cars. In other words, the combination imposes excessive compromises on both the car and the airplane aspects of the vehicle.
Other types of flying vehicles have resulted from the adaptation of a conventional airplane to highway use, or that of a road vehicle to airborne use, but neither have produced a satisfactory compromise. The main problem has always been the lack of a single power train suitable for powering both a set of wheels and a propeller under conditions appropriate for each use. Obviously, road use requires multiple gears, including a reverse gear, while a propeller requires a single gear and, preferably, an adjustable pitch for transition between take off and cruise altitudes. For a roadable aircraft to become practically feasible, these features must be packaged in a light unit that is also relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The present invention discloses a novel combination of known components that satisfies these requirements.